Apparatus for raising and quickly restoring the level of water in wells



3,094,167 KLY RESTORING 1g WELLS June 18', 1963 w. H. HlNE JR APPARATUS FOR RAISING AND QUIC THE LEVEL OF WATER I Filed May 10, 19

INVE NTOR. WJ/wr/i/fimJr,

ATTORNEY.

W $51 J: I I h gxrxtii115:1: I E: 1 n t iiil /iiia United States Patent 3,094,167 APPARATUS FOR RAISING AND QUICKLY RE- STORING THE LEVEL OF WATER IN WELLS Wilbur H. Hine, Jr., Hamburg, NY. Filed May 10, 1961, Ser. No. 109,220 Claims. (Cl. 166-97) This invention relates to water wells and more particularly to apparatus for quickly restoring and raising'the level of Water in such wells above the level of the eontiguous water table.

The present prevailing practice in the use of water wells is to cover the open upper end of such wells with a loose fitting cap or closure member which will admit air to the well and which will prevent foreign matter from entering it. In many instances water wells are provided with a venting means for the admission of air thereinto.

All water wells, regardless of whether they be shallow dug wells or deeper drilled wells, are provided with a suitable casing and an outletpipe having its lower end extended into the well to a point below the level of the water therein and above the bottom of the well and having its upper end connected to a suitable water pumping means, so that during operation of thepumping means water can be pumped from the well until its level falls to and approximates the level of the lower end of the outlet pipe, whereupon no further water can be pumped from the well until water flows into the well from the contiguous water source and again rises above 'said pipe end.

The level of water in such wells normally approximatesthe level of water in the contiguous source of water, which is known as the water table level, and since it varies between a higherlevel in wet seasons and a lower level in dry vseasons, it may fall below the level of the lower end of the outlet pipe and result in what is known as a dryv well.

An object of the present invention is to provide the casing of water wells with a sealing means which will exclude the admission of atmospheric air pressure thereinto, whereby when pumping water from the well reduces its level, the pressure of the air therein is also reduced and such reduced air pressure, together with atmospheric pressure on the sourceof the'water acts to'more quickly restore the normal level of water in the well when the pumping ceases.

Another' object is to provide water wells with means for sealing and means for evacuating air from its casing,"

thereby to raise the level of the water therein above the level of the contiguous water table and [to more quickly restore the water to said raised level when pumping ceases.

Another object is to provide switch means for controlling the reduced pressure in the well between predetermined limits. t

Another object is to provide the well sealing means with means for securing it against inadvertent displacement from its sealing engagement with the well casing, Another object is to provide the well sealing cap with valve means operable to. admitair into the well casing for equalizing the air pressure on its inner and outer surfaces to facilitate removal of the cap therefrom.

The foregoing andother objects, advantages and characterizing features of my invention will become clearly apparent from a perusal of the following detailed description of presently preferred embodiments thereof and the drawing wherein like reference numerals denote like parts throughout the several views and wherein:

FIGURE '1 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of a water well provided, in accordance with the principles of the present invention, with a unitary motor driven mi-tting air to the well to raise the reduced pressure therein to atmospheric pressure.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged bottom plan view of theunitary means shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary vertical cross-sectional view of the switch means shown in FIGURES 1 and 2,

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary vertical cross-sectional view of the air pressure equalizing valve shown in its open position, and

FIGURE 5 is a schematic view showing how the pump means, the switch means and the valve means may be located at -a more or less remote point from the well.

The term water well as used herein is intended to include all water wells because regardless of whether they are dug or 'drilled wells or shallow or deep wells a casing extends down to and into the contiguous water table area in the usual manner, and it has been found that since water normally rises in the well to the level of the water table, upon sealing the top of the casing and operat ing the usual water pumping means to pump water from i the well reduces the volume of water therein and in being so reduced reduces the pressure of the air -in the well so that when the pumping ceases the water more quickly' refills the well to its normal level.

-It has been found that positively reducing the pressure of air in a sealed well casing more or less below atmospheric pressure by any suitable air evacuating.

means together with the pressure of atmospheric air acting on the water table causes water to fill thecasing to H a level considerably above the level of the contiguouswater table.

Thus raising the level of water in the sealed casing increases the volume of water which can be pumped therefrom and, since pumping waterfrom the casing further reduces the reduced air pressure therein,

it will be understood that when the pumping ceaseswater from the water table will enter and fill the casing to the raised level more quickly.

-Referring now to FIGURES 1-4 of the drawing, a

water well generally indicated by the numeral 10 comprises a casing 11 extending into the water table T and having its upper end closed by a cap 12 and sealed by a seal 13 interposed between it and the cap 12. To insure against inadvertent displacement of the cap 12, notwithstanding a difference in the pressure acting on its opposite 7 surfaces and tending to maintain it in place on the casing,

it is preferably also detachably secured in place by a plurality of screws "14. The casing 11 is also provided with an outlet pipe -15 which has one of its ends extended into the water table T and has its other end connected to a water pump (not shown) in the usual manner, and in the case of deep wells may be provided with a pipe 16 having its lower end connected to the lower end of the pipe'15 bya conventional jet fitting 17, whereby pumping water thru the pipe'16 assists pumping water thru the pipe .15 in the usual manner;

In a presently preferred unitary form of the invention shown in FIGURES 1-4 the cap 12 directly carries a conventional vacuum pump 20 which is operably connected to and driven by an electric motor 21 connected by a suitable circuit 22 to a source of electric power.

The pump 20 is formed with an air inlet port 23 and an air exhaust port 24, the former being in communication with the casing and the latter being provided with an exhaust air conduit 25 which extends thru the cover 12 to atmosphere and which has its outer end formed to exclude foreign matter. During operation of the pump 20 Patented June 18, 1963 it evacuates air from the sealed casing 11 and thereby reduces the pressure of air therein so that the reduced air pressure therein, together with the pressure of atmospheric air acting on the water table, causes water to rise in the casing to a level L considerably above the level of the water table T.

In order to automatically control the reduced air pressure in the casing 11 within predetermined limits the cap 12 is also provided with an air pressure responsive switch means 26 of any suitable and conventional form for performing this function. As illustrated in FIGURE 3, the switch may comprise a body 27 in the lower end of which a diaphragm 28 is movably mounted for movements in response to variations in the air pressure in the casing 11. The center of the diaphragm 28 is connected to a non-conducting pin 29 which is slidably mounted in the body 27 which carries a conductor switch member 31 for bridging and connecting the spaced contacts 32 of the hot line of the circuit 22.

A spring disc 33 is peripherally secured to the body 27 and is provided with a central opening with the inner margin defining such opening underlying the pin 29. The spring disc is bowed to normally urge the member 31 to bridge the contacts 32 and, by virtue of this bow, operates in oil can fashion in response to a reduction in the air pressure within the casing to automatically snap the member 31 into its circuit opening position. The upper end of the slidably mounted pin 29 preferably extends thru the cap 12 and has its terminal end provided with a finger piece 34 for manually moving the member 31 between its circuit opening and closing positions when necessary.

Assuming that the member 31 is in the circuit opening position shown in FIGURE 3, and the casing is under a predetermined reduced air pressure, this reduced air pressure will act on the diaphragm to hold the member 31 in its circuit opening position and upon a predetermined increase in such air pressure the force exerted by the diaphragm will be decreased sufi'iciently to permit the spring 3'3 to move the member 31 tov its circuit closing position. At this time, the motor and pump will operate until the predetermined reduced air pressure in the casing is again attained, whereupon the diaphragm exerts sutficient pressure to oil can the spring 33 and move the member 31 to its circuit opening position. It will also be understood that by grasping and manually moving the finger piece 34 the member 31 may be manually moved between its circuit closing and opening positions wherever such manual operation is necessary.

By reason of the difference in the pressure of air acting on the opposite sides of the cap 12 it is not easily removed from the casing 11 so it has been found desirable to provide means for equalizing such pressures. Accordingly the cap 12 is provided with a manually operable pressure equalizing valve means 35. The valve 35, shown in the open position in FIGURE 4, comprises a stem 36 slidably mounted centrally in a larger air passage 37 in the cap 12 for manual movement between closed and open positions, has its lower end provided with a resilient valve disk 38 which by means of a spring 39 encompassing the upper end of the stem and acting between the cap 12 and a finger piece 41 at the terminal end of the stern normally maintains the disk 37 in a position closing the air passage 37 and which by finger pressure against the finger piece 41 may be readily moved to its open position for equalizing said air pressure and allowing ready removal of the cap.

In the form of my invention shown in FIGURE 5 one end of an exhaust air conduit 25 of suitable size and length is connected to the well sealing cap 12 and its other end is connected to the intake port 23 of the vacuum pump 20 so that when the motor 21 is operated air is drawn from the sealed well casing 11 by the pump and forced thru its outlet port 24, thereby to evacuate the well. A modified form of the air pressure responsive switch means 26, indicated by the numeral 26', has the air responsive side of its diaphragm sealingly connected to the conduit 25' for automatically controlling the reduced air pressure in the casing within predetermined limits and a modified form of air pressure equalizing valve 35' is connected to the conduit 25', thereby to admit air thereinto and conduct it to the well to equalize the air pressures acting on the cap so that it can be readily removed.

The circuit 22 of each form of the invention, as shown in FIGURE 5, is provided with a normally closed main switch 42 which can be opened to prevent the automatic operation of the apparatus whenever necessary.

It should be understood that the herein shown and described forms of my invention are intended to illustrate its principles and that various modifications and rearrangements of its component parts may be made within the scope of the appended claims wherein:

I claim:

1. Apparatus for raising, quickly restoring and maintaining water in a water well at a normal level above the level of the contiguous water table, comprising cap means for closing and sealing the open upper end of a well casing, motor driven vacuum pump means for evacuating and reducing the pressure of air in a casing below atmospheric pressure, whereby atmospheric pressure acting on the water table causes water entering a well casing to rise above the level of the water table, and switch means responsive to reduced pressure in a casing and operably connected to the motor of the pump means for operating it to maintain the reduced pressure in a casing within predetermined limits.

2. The apparatus set forth in claim 1 wherein the cap means carries valve means operable to admit air through the cap means.

3. The apparatus set forth in claim 2 wherein the cap means directly carries the motor driven vacuum pump means, the switch means and the valve means to provide a unitary apparatus.

4. The apparatus set forth in claim 1 wherein the cap means directly carries the motor driven vacuum pump means and the switch means on the underside thereof.

5. The apparatus set forth in claim 1 wherein the motor driven pump means, the switch means and the valve means are remotely located from and operably connected to the cap means by conduit means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,547,197 Arbon July 28, 1925 2,765,742 King Oct. 9, 1956 2,931,379 Haydin Apr. 5, 1960 

1. APPARATUS FOR RAISING, QUICKLY RESTORING AND MAINTAINING WATER IN A WATER WELL AT A NORMAL LEVEL ABOVE THE LEVEL OF THE CONTIGUOUS WATER TABLE, COMPRISING CAP MEANS FOR CLOSING AND SEALING THE OPEN UPPER END OF A WELL CASING, MOTOR DRIVEN VACUUM PUMP MEANS FOR EVACUATING AND REDUCING THE PRESSURE OF AIR IN A CASING BELOW ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE, WHEREBY ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE ACTING ON THE WATER TABLE CAUSES WATER ENTERING A WELL CASING TO RISE ABOVE THE LEVEL OF THE WATER TABLE, AND SWITCH MEANS RESPONSIVE TO REDUCED PRESSURE IN A CASING AND OPERABLY CONNECTED TO THE MOTOR OF THE PUMP MEANS FOR OPERATING IT TO MAINTAIN THE REDUCED PRESSURE IN A CASING WITHIN PREDETERMINED LIMITS. 